2024 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conference

October 23 & 24, 2024
Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center
1657 Worcester Rd
Framingham, MA 01701

Educators and school leaders have the enormous potential to generate change. Schools are centers of the community, nurturing spaces for young minds, and centers of thought leadership and knowledge. Through the close relationships your stakeholders hold with families, schools are positioned to supply the ‘unity’ in ‘community’ and lead efforts to ensure a sense of belonging for everyone. 

Come to AISNE’s annual event centered on the work of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. It is work that runs across all aspects of a school’s operations—from student life to the business office, from academics to human resources. Bring all members of your school staff and faculty to this 2-day event and make intentional time to enrich your practice with new ideas and connections. You will come away with best practices for making actionable change within your community, and a renewed commitment for building learning environments for every student.

Pricing

EARLY BIRD
Now through August 30, 2024 Tickets are $469/person regardless of group size. 

REGISTER HERE

We strive to create an inclusive learning environment for all. If you have any questions or accessibility needs, please contact us at info@aisne.org.

Hotel

We encourage you to stay on site to maximize the community feel of the event and fully experience the program. AISNE has a contracted room block with the Sheraton Framingham.

Rooms are $199/nt + tax. 

Book Your Hotel Room

Agenda at a Glance

Wednesday, October 23 

• 8:30 – 9:30 AM | Registration, Networking, and Ask an Expert
• 9:30 – 10:30 AM | Think Tanks by Role
• 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM | Opening Keynote: Liz Kleinrock
• 12:00 – 1:30 PM | Lunch & The Story Bridge Performance
• 1:30 – 2:00 PM | Book Signings: Jennifer De Leon and Liz Kleinrock
• 2:00 – 3:15 PM | Topic Sessions
• 3:30 – 4:45 PM | BIPOC Affinity Space
• 3:30 – 4:45 PM | White Allies Workshop
• 3:30 – 4:45 PM | Ask an Expert
• 5:30 – 7:30 PM | Dine-on-Your Own
• 8:00 – 9:30 PM | Community Celebration: ¡Salsa y Sangría!

Thursday, October 24 

• 8:00 – 9:00 AM | Breakfast 
• 8:00 – 9:00 AM | LGBTQIA+ Community Breakfast 
• 9:00 – 10:15 AM | Keynote: Britt Hawthorne & Tiffany Jewell
• 10:30 – 11:45 AM | Topic Sessions 
• 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM | Lunch
• 1:00 – 2:15 PM | Topic Sessions
• 2:30 – 3:45 PM | Closing Keynote & Closing Reflections

General Sessions

Wednesday, October 23 | 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
Liz Kleinrock | Start Here, Start Now: A Discussion about Equity-Forward Practices

Join moderator Liz Kleinrock and a panel of esteemed AISNE community members for an insightful discussion on fostering inclusive futures within educational institutions. This engaging session will spotlight concrete examples, practical tools, and real-life experiences of implementing equity-forward practices on campuses. From innovative strategies to actionable insights, participants will gain valuable knowledge and inspiration to navigate the journey towards greater equity and inclusivity in their own educational settings. 

Liz Kleinrock (she/her) is an award winning educator and best selling author, as well as a Korean-American transracial adoptee, queer, Jewish woman. In 2018, Liz received the Teaching Tolerance Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2019 delivered her TED Talk, How to Teach Kids to Talk about Taboo Topics. In the spring of 2021, Liz released her first book, Start Here, Start Now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work in Your School Community with Heinemann Publishing, and is excited to share the publication of four children’s books with HarperCollins. Liz was named one of Top 100 Influential Jews 2022 and 2023 by The Tel Aviv Institute. She currently works as Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at Lowell School in Washington, DC, a Pre-K – 8 school, and resides in the District with her partner, cat, and two bunnies.

Thursday, October 24 | 9:00 – 10:15 AM
Britt Hawthorne & Tiffany Jewell | Chart Your Course: Anti-Bias and Anti-Racist Journeys

This interactive session is dedicated to empowering you with the tools and knowledge you need to cultivate anti-racist classrooms and communities. Through storytelling, reflection, and practical strategies, you will explore integrating anti-racist principles into your teaching and school leadership practice to foster equity and belonging for all students. Embark on a transformative journey with Britt and Tiffany as they lead a dynamic conversation on navigating anti-bias and anti-racist practices. Discover practical strategies and insightful perspectives for teaching and working through an anti-racist lens. Britt and Tiffany are passionate about empowering administrators and educators to create inclusive, authentic communities where every individual is seen and valued. Join us as we chart a course towards a more equitable and just educational landscape. 

Britt Hawthorne (they/she) is the author of the New York Times Bestseller Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide. Britt is also an antiracist educator, teacher, speaker, visionary, and advocate committed to raising a generation of antiracist children by fostering equitable learning environments for students and children of all ages and backgrounds. Compassionate and challenging, Britt’s voice continues to be sought-after for training and workshops at schools and universities across the nation. Her work has been recognized by PBS, the National Education Association, Drew Barrymore, Google Edu, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Rice University, the Association Montessori Internationale, and countless more. Britt has traveled extensively to speak at conferences, authored publications, and appeared on podcasts covering social justice, liberation, and equity in education. And, she keeps the conversation moving forward.

Tiffany Jewell is a Black biracial writer, twin sister, first-generation American, cisgender mama, anti-bias antiracist (ABAR) educator, and consultant. She is the author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, This Book Is Anti-Racist, a book for young folks and everyone to wake up, take action, and do the work of becoming antiracist as well as The Antiracist Kid: A Book About Identity, Justice, and Activism, and the recently released Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School. Tiffany has been working with children and families for nearly two decades and worked as a Montessori educator for fifteen years. She enjoys working with educators and supporting them building strong, authentic communities in which every child can be seen and valued. Tiffany is the co-founder, alongside Britt Hawthorne, of ABARatSchool, an organization that strives to support educators and caregivers in their anti-bias antiracist journeys. She also served as the president of the founding board of the national organization, Montessori for Social Justice. Tiffany lives on the homeland of the Pocumtuc and the Nipmuck with her two young storytellers, husband, and a turtle she’s had since she was nine years old.

Thursday, October 24 | 2:30 – 3:45 PM
Jason Craige Harris | The Election: Preparing to Respond to the Outcome

Election outcomes generate intense emotional responses. Those responses have indicated just how passionately people feel about politics and ethics––and just how much they believe is at stake. Students are deeply influenced by the expressions of concern by adults and have their own concerns. They, too, get caught up in the whirlwind of discourse taking place in the media and the people they encounter in their lives. No matter the outcome of the upcoming presidential election, schools need to be ready to care for their students and adults. This keynote session does not adopt a political view. Instead, participants will be invited to explore practices of community care-taking after major external shifts that nevertheless can impact the interior life of a school. We will explore how to make sense of the emotionality of the moment and a framework for understanding how identity intersects with the experience of anxiety and upheaval. You will come away with practices for interpersonal care and support in challenging moments and communal practices of care that can be brought to scale.

Jason Craige Harris is a voice for healing, transformation, and the power of storytelling. He brings together insights from diverse fields as a facilitator, conflict mediator, leadership coach, and spiritual teacher. He works in a variety of contexts, with a range of constituents, and across industries to promote cultures of dignity, belonging, and repair. He regularly advises leaders on how to solve big challenges, manage complex crises, and pursue lasting change. As a researcher, educator, and strategist, Jason holds expertise in organizational development; dignity and belonging; dialogue and group dynamics; the psychology of identity and leadership; and conflict transformation and restorative justice. In all of his work, Jason draws on a deep well of research, practice, and mindfulness to transform leaders, teams, and organizational cultures. Jason is a member of the speakers bureau at Pollyanna, a national organization working to promote racial literacy and cultural competency. He writes on issues pertaining to leadership, culture, conflict, abuse, repair, and religion/spirituality. Jason is also the Social Impact Producer for a documentary with Impactful, Race to Be Human, that explores how to talk about race and mental health. Previously, Jason was the director of diversity and inclusion at a NYC independent school, where he co-led the school’s peace, equity, and justice department and taught courses at the intersection of ethics, history, and religion. Jason sits on the boards of Seeds of Peace, Hidden Water, and Getting to We.

Planning Committee

AISNE would like to extend its gratitude to our 2023 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conference Planning Committee Members:

• Michael Buensuceso, Berwick Academy, Assistant Head of School for Community and Equity at Berwick Academy
• Edward Carson, Vermont Academy, Dean of Residential Life and Belonging
• Rene Davis, Kents Hill School, Associate Head of School
• Rick DaSilva, St. Mark’s School, Director of Community and Equity Affairs
• André Heard, Milton Academy, Associate Dean of Students
• Jenny Jun-lei Kravitz, Rivers School, Director of Institutional Equity
• Andrew Lee, Fayerweather Street School, Assistant Head of School
• Lisa Muñoz, Dublin School, Director of Equity, Justice, and Belonging
• Paran Quigley, Shady Hill School, Middle School Equity Liaison
• Talya Sokoll, Noble and Greenough School, DEI Team Member
• Ann-Marie White, The Putney School, Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations and transfer requests must be sent via email to info@aisne.org. Cancellations received up to 10 days before the start of the event will receive a 100% refund, less a $150 administrative fee. This fee covers the cost of our minimum commitments with our hotel partners; thank you for your understanding. Transfers of registrations from one person to another are permitted up to 3 business days before the start of the event.

Note: During the Early Bird discount period (through August 30,2024) you may purchase tickets without registering an attendee. You will be asked to name the attendees at a later date. These unnamed tickets are non-refundable.

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